City comparison
Brownsville, TX vs Fresno, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Fresno, CA are 18.8% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $118,800 in Fresno, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,355 a month in Fresno, CA versus $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Fresno, CA and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Fresno, CA than in Brownsville, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Brownsville, TX to Fresno, CA ($106,437 → $106,973), while prices change by +18.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −15.4% in real buying power.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (much cheaper)
- Fresno, CA: price level 102.2 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Brownsville, TX | Fresno, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 102.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $118,823 in Fresno | $84,159 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/mo | $1,355/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $46,910 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Fresno, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Fresno, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Fresno |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 95.7 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 161.0 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 102.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Fresno, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.8%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
38 Weak offer
Fresno, CA → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.8%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Brownsville, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Fresno, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Brownsville, TX to Fresno, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Fresno, CA | Real change, Brownsville → Fresno |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,033 | −15.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,055 | −15.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,959 | −15.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,973 | −15.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,410 | −15.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Fresno, CA | Fresno pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $78,800 | $66,317 (+4.7%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $129,060 | $108,615 (+1.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $78,690 | $66,225 (−0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $125,420 | $105,552 (+30.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.